


Love, Byun Baekhyun

by honeybunbyun



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends With Benefits, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-05-01 17:58:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 17,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14526075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeybunbyun/pseuds/honeybunbyun
Summary: Love letters are meant to be a secret, because you pour all your hearts out and your feelings is all laid out and naked.Baekhyun wrote 4 letters for 3 boys and a girl. The 4 people that meant alot to him at some point of his life.Then one day the letters got send out.





	1. Retour en arrière

**Author's Note:**

> Authors note (IMPORTANT) :
> 
> Just a little disclaimer, this book is inspired by Jenny Han’s TATBILB , therefore there’s going to be some correlations and the use of same "letters concept". However, I noticed that the first couple of chapters have alot of similarities and crossovers with Han’s book, I have no intentions on doing this but because I’ve read the book for more than 10 times, it just sinks in and came out naturally, I developed my writing style from reading her books! I was overly inspired you could say! I hope that you dear readers would give this book a chance because it holds a really special place in my heart. Thankyou and I hope you enjoy this reading journey! 
> 
> ps. please comment! It literally means so much to me and keep me going! -3- 
> 
> love,
> 
> T

There are 4 letters out there, each for the boys (and a girl) Baekhyun ever loved, or should he say, loves. The first one was for Zhang Yixing, his first love, he poured his heart out after he received the news about Yixing moving 5 towns away, away from him. He still remembers his sweet smile and his warm gesture during the game of truth or dares during middle school, how he'd spared Baekhyun and not dared anything harsh. He was such a sweet boy. Too sweet sometimes.

  The second letter is for the one and only Kim Jongin, his first kiss. There's this saying that you'll always remember your firsts, which is true because firsts are significant, it marks the beginning of your journey. It was in 7th grade when Baekhyun and Jongin were sitting on Kyungsoo's balcony, waiting for their moms to pick them up. Jongin was busy with his game and Baekhyun was sitting there fidgeting because he had nothing to do. Then suddenly, Jongin looked up at him for the first time in 15 minutes and said: "You smells nice". Baekhyun was dumbfounded and quickly recovered with a smile.

"Thanks! I used this new body lotion my dad got me from —"

He was cut off when Jongin suddenly scooted over and slanted his plumped lips on the latter's thin lips.

It was Baekhyun's first kiss. And ever since that evening, Baekhyun started to developed a crush on Jongin, sneaking glances at him in the hallways and lunchtime. But Jongin never returned any of the attention, because his gaze was fixed on Kyungsoo. 1 year later at the end of 8th grade, they announced to the entire school as an official couple.

Then came Park Chanyeol, the perfect boy next door. Sweet, nice, caring. Just the type to make anyone swoon and falls for his charm. He can make any guys and girls fall for him so easily, to love him so easily. And that's what happened to Baekhyun, he fell deep, and couldn't climb back up. Baekhyun still loves him till this very day, but he knew he had to stop, because there's no way for them to happen, it's just impossible. Baekhyun wrote the letter that one night and tried to bury his feelings for Chanyeol there as well. He tried.

The last letter? It was for a girl, she was important to Baekhyun because she made him realized what he really wants. And what he wants isn't a girl, but a guy. Kim Taeyeon was precious to Baekhyun, he loves her, like a sister, like someone that made him found himself. And that's why he felt such gratitude towards her.

All of these four letters were meant to be a secret, to be buried away, to not be seen by anyone's eyes except for Baekhyun's. But fate happened and it mailed all these letters out, leaving Baekhyun's with a chaotic love life aftermath.


	3. Confessé

Baekhyun and Sehun were running around the fields in P.E class when he saw Jongin sneaking glances at him from the baseball field. He was probably looking at Sehun he thought, but then he caught Jongin staring at him again before approaching them.

" Can I talk to you?"

Sehun and Baekhyun look at each other before Sehun said: "Me or him?"

" Byun Baekhyun."

" Sure go on," Sehun says as he crosses his arms.

Jongin sighs. " Alone."

"Fine." Sehun snaps and walks away throwing glances at Baekhyun that says "you better spill."

Once he made sure that Sehun is out of ear sight, Jongin leans closer to him and said :

" Look, I'm sorry that I stole your first kiss and made it 'less interesting than a family get-together' " He quotes.

Baekhyun is puzzles, What the hell is this boy talking about?

" Where did that come from? It happened like four years ago." Baekhyun lets out a nervous laugh.

" You said it in the letter." Jongin is staring hard at him now.

What letter? He never wrote Jongin a letter, oh wait he did, but that couldn't be. It's definitely not that letter.

" It was addressed to me, from you." Jongin takes the crinkled envelope out of his pocket.

Baekhyun feels like he's living in a dream right now, except it's a nightmare. The sight in front of him is Kim Jongin holding his private letter in hands, waving it like it's nothing.

" Wh-Where did you get that from?" He tried his best to keep his voice steady and acts like it's not bothering him.

" It came in the mail yesterday."

" Can I see it?" 

Jongin looks at him before cautiously handing his letter back. Baekhyun hands are shaking as he accepts the letter back. Before Jongin could say another word, Baekhyun turns his heels and rushes back, all the way to the locker room.

As soon as he checks that he's alone, he carefully tears the envelope open, and his handwriting welcomes him with a warm smile.

Dear Kim Jongin,

First of all, I refuse to call you Kai, it sounds cool, sure, but it's not you...You think you're suddenly a superior god or something after you changed your nickname, but no, I'll continue calling you Jonginnie!

That night at Kyungsoo's birthday party in 7th grade, did you know that you were my first kiss? You're probably too careless to even noticed, you just kissed me and thinks that I'll be absolutely fine after. But no, you know why? Because I couldn't get you out of my mind for months later. It's like I'm starstrucked by you, I never looked at you that way before, Sehun would tell me about how you're the handsomest boy in our grade, and I'd agree. But I've never thought about you any further until that night. You might not care, but I care, I cares a lot, your first kiss is supposed to be special and fireworks, but you made that kiss less interesting than a family get-together. I didn't feel any of that with you, its just so easy for you to kiss someone, of course, I mean you're THE Kai, after all, the guy of all guy.

Do you know how hard it was to watch you holding hands and making out with Kyungsoo so openly every day at school (and out)? I liked you so much or even loved, but that's all in the past now, because as this letter is coming to an end, so is my feelings for you.

I'm sure that if you were to kiss me again I'll catch something, it's not a crush that I'll catch, but the flu.

Love,  
Byun Baekhyun

Oh my god. this is not reality, his face is all numb and he thinks of all the possibility that this might be a dream. But it's not. The mess has been created, leaving him to deal with it. What if the letter to Jongin is just the start? What if the letters got sent out to Yixing, Taeyeon, and Chanyeol too-

Chanyeol.

He mentally slaps himself in the face and wants to throw himself off the bridge. This couldn't be it, Chanyeol cannot read the letter, it's way too naked, his feelings, all laid out in a single piece of paper. 

How can he even feel like that with Chanyeol? Sehun has been having a crush on Chanyeol for the longest time. They talked about it, and Baekhyun just brushed it off saying its just a puppy love, and that he'll get over it soon. That was at the end of ninth grade, they're a junior in high school now but his feelings for Chanyeol is still concrete. Like a wall blocking his feelings from escaping.


	4. Artificial

Baekhyun skips the last two periods and heads back home. He slept from 1 pm till 5, acting as if he has the flu when his mom came asking what's wrong.

That night while he's helping his mom with the dishes, he hears a knock on the door. Deep in his heart, he knows that it's Chanyeol, that's why he quickly runs to the back door, out the yard, and into his little hideout tent. He stays there for the next 2 hours, making sure that Chanyeol is really, truly gone. 

The next day at school, Baekhyun was putting his books in the locker then suddenly, out of nowhere, Chanyeol appears right behind him.

" Baekhyun... I need to talk to you" Chanyeol waving the letter in front of him with shaky hands.

" Oh about that letter, you should know that I wrote that a long time ago, I don't even remember writing it, to be honest" He lets out a dry laugh, trying to shrug it off.

" Why didn't you tell me?" Chanyeol eagerly asks.

How can I tell you? Baekhyun thought, how am I supposed to continue loving you knowing that my best friend also has been pining for you for the past years?

" It wouldn't make a difference plus—"

" It would Baekhyun, god I don't even know what to say—"

" Ihaveaboyfriend" Baekhyun rushes the words out like its poison.

" I got to go, talk to you later" At that, Baekhyun turns his heels and fast walking to his first period.

Before Baekhyun could go any further he hears a faint shout from Chanyeol:" Who is it?"

Baekhyun turns and looks at Chanyeol, and that's when he sees Kim Jongin, walking down the hallway like he owns the place, he deserves a background music, he looks so good.

" Jongin, Kim Jongin," Baekhyun says with a smile.

At that, Baekhyun runs up to Jongin, passes Chanyeol, and jumps on top of Jongin like a maniac, with his legs straddle on Jongin's waist and hands wraps around his shoulders.

" Baekhyun? What the—" Surprise plasters all over Jongin's face as he raises his eyebrows at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun shuts him up by pressing his lips to Jongin's. Three seconds later, Jongin starts kissing him back. And before he knew it, Jongin slips his tongue inside Baekhyun's mouth, and they're full-on making out. Baekhyun can only wish that Chanyeol is watching, or else this goes to nothing. Then after what feels like the eternity, Baekhyun pulls away from Jongin, still straddling him like a monkey.

" Thank you" Baekhyun looks into Jongin's eyes with sincerity.  

" You're welcome" Jongin still looks taken back from what had happened.

Then Baekhyun jumps down and turns his heels to the other side of the hall, Chanyeol isn't there anymore. 

As Baekhyun rushes towards French class, he's still trembling over the fact that he just practically strangled the Kim Kai, one of the hottest guy in high school, a dream of both girls and boys. 

~~

After school that day, Baekhyun waits in front of the boy's locker room, Jongin comes out last.

" Hey." Jongin nods at Baekhyun, but he doesn't stop and keeps walking.

" Actually, I need to talk to you, about this morning.."

" Oh yeah, what was that all about?" 

" Well you see, you're not the only person that got the letters."

" Who else got it?" 

" That's... private" Wow, how rude. " And the person that I actually like got the letter as well." 

" What does that have to do with me?"

" Well. I kind of told him that you're my boyfriend"

" So you used me to save face." Jongin doesn't look mad, it's like he's still processing what happened. 

" I have my own reasons" 

" Sehun likes him" Baekhyun blurts. 

" So that explains why that Chanyeol kid tackles me during PE today, it's because of you" Jongin points at Baekhyun. 

" He tackled you?" 

" Yep, glad to know he actually does sports and not just a bookworm in that stinky library" Jongin shrugs. 

" He was asking me about how are things going between me and you, I was hella confused, but then I connected the pieces together so I told him that I asked you out right before school opened" 

Baekhyun is touched. Instead of blowing off his cover, Jongin saved his. 

" Wow... Thank you" Baekhyun is speechless.

" You're welcome" Jongin winks.

" But it's no use, I'm going to tell him the truth, you can stop pretending now."

" Plus, I don't want Kyungsoo to come after me for messing around with you, we all know how he is, you're like his property or something." 

" I'm not anyone's property" Jongin intently stares at Baekhyun.

" Oh really? Then explain why y'alls get back together every time after a breakup, you guys can't be separated for long, one day, you will be back together again." 

" Just like now, the countdown timer is ticking before you go running back to Kyungsoo—" 

Baekhyun stops mid-sentence when he sees Jongin's expression. It's so serious, intently looking at him, searching. Baekhyun suddenly becomes scared.

" What?" 

" Let's do this for a while. Let's let people thinks we're dating." 

Baekhyun laughs. " It's no use, it's not that serious anyway"

" Well I don't know about you but it could do us both a favor, you saved face from Chanyeol and I'm proving to Kyungsoo this time that I'm not anyone's puppet to be thrown around." Jongin's expression hardens. 

" It's not necessary.." 

" Well up to you, but Chanyeol definitely believed it." Jongin shrugs, he looks bored with this conversation already. 

Without a second thought, Baekhyun said: "Let's do it".


	5. Départ

The next morning rolls around, Baekhyun’s enjoying the view and eating his breakfast while sitting at the back of the school bus. Baekhyun and his few other friends in Junior High still doesn’t own a car, therefore they still needs to ride the school bus to school. 

When Baekhyun steps down the bus, the first thing he sees is the one and only Kim Jongin, he’s standing against the double doors, looking like he’s waiting for someone.

“ Hey!” Baekhyun jogs over.

“ Finally! I’ve been waiting for you for like 20 minutes” Jongin looks slightly annoyed.

“ I never told you to wait for me.”

At this Jongin shoots him a glare. “ Do I need to remind you that you’re technically my boyfriend now? “

“ And walking into school together is just the first step in the whole package” At this, Jongin laces his hands with Baekhyun and lead them into the crowded hallway. 

“ Starting tomorrow I’ll pick you up at your house, 7.45, I can't have my boyfriend sitting in the bus everyday."

~

Baekhyun hands are sweating and he can feel beads of sweats on his forehead, making his hair wet too probably. All eyes are on them as they stroll pass them, the only difference is that Jongin doesn’t even look bothered like it’s just another day of the great Kim Kai, meanwhile Baekhyun is almost hyperventilating as his social anxiety creeps in. He bet Kyungsoo hands never overheats when he held hands with Jongin.

“ Where are we going?” 

“ The cafeteria.” 

Oh no no no. Not the cafeteria, it’s bombarded with top-tier students in school, including the most popular people and jocks, including Kyungsoo and his friends. 

Jongin practically drags him into the cafeteria, people starting to stare as they walk hands in hands. He can already feel Kyungsoo poking hole in the back of his head. His grip on Jongin’s arms tightened as they walk past Kyungsoo’s table. They sit at a table not too far from Kyungsoo’s radar, as Baekhyun looks around, hoping to find Chanyeol, he realizes that only popular people come here in the morning for breakfast, people like Chanyeol would bring his own food and eat outside at the bench. 

As he’s swirling around in his thoughts, he feels Jongin warm hands tracing his own, drawing the line on his slender hands. 

“ Stop that you’re creeping me out.” 

Jongin looks up hurt; “What? Boys and girls loves it when I do that.”

“No, Kyungsoo loves it.” 

Jongin scoffs. 

Baekhyun presses even more; “Honestly now that I think about it, you don’t even have that much experience with boys, girls sure, but that was like in elementary school, now that you’re a hormonal teenage boy, the only person you actually had some 'lifetime event' with was Kyungsoo—"

“Okay, Okay I got it just stop already everybody is staring” Jongin mutters.

Baekhyun looks around, and it’s true, everyone is gawking at them, investigating them like some particles subject in a lab room. He gulps. He’s not used to this kind of attention, but as he looks at the boy next to him, which appears to have the complete opposite reaction. 

The bell rings and Baekhyun stands up like someone is coming for him, which in this case is pretty much true. He starts to sprints out the cafeteria when Jongin grabs him first. 

“Wait I can walk you to class—“

“No, it’s fine.” Baekhyun rushes out and heads towards the door, running for his life. 

The glare, the judging looks on people’s face, Kyungsoo’s stare. It’s just too much for him.

~

Afterschool finally comes around and Baekhyun walks straight to the bus stop, not waiting for Sehun after his basketball practice like he usually does. 

That night he helps his mom with cleaning up because she was working late shift when Sehun calls him out of nowhere. Sehun is not someone to just calls people to just chitchat, he always has his own reasoning. 

“ Is it true?” 

Baekhyun already knew what it is. “Yes.” 

“ Oh my god! Why didn’t you tell me? Kai’s fucking hot—“

“ Bye!” He hangs up. 

~

Baekhyun did his homework for 3 hours until he feels his body aching on the hard chair, glancing at the clock it’s already half past 12. 

As he’s getting ready to sleep, plops down on the bed sheet with plushies besides him, “ringggringgg” The phone goes.

The caller ID is unknown.

“ Hello?” Baekhyun speaks cautiously. 

“ Hey, what are you doing?” a muffled deep voice passes through the line.

“ Um.. who are you?” 

There’s silence on the other line.

“ Are you kidding me Byun Baekhyun? You don’t have my number saved?” 

Oh, it’s Kim Jongin. 

He sighs. “What do you want?” 

“ I just called you so I could be your last call of the night”

 

“ Technically it’s morning now” 

“ Well, the first call in the morning sounds nice too”

silence.

“Anything else?” 

“ I’m picking you up tomorrow morning, and every other day, don’t go on the bus”

“ I know, you already told me.”

Another silence. 

"O-kay" 

“Bye.” Baekhyun hangs up. 

He places his phone on the nightstand and quickly drifts off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dear readers,  
>  How are you guys? If you're still reading at this point, Thankyou from the bottom of my heart!
> 
> Love,  
> T


	6. Liaison

The next day Baekhyun comes outside and waits for Jongin at the porch at 7:30, but 20 minutes later and he’s still not anywhere near sight. 

Baekhyun sighs in frustration, he hates people that are late. And this is the first time that Jongin is picking him up, so this really leaves him a bad impression. 

With no other choice, Baekhyun glances at the house next to his. Familiarity welcomes him as he knocks on the door. 

A sleepy Chanyeol opens the door with his backpack and everything like he’s ready to leave.

“Hey” Baekhyun waves awkwardly.

“What’s up? Wait, it's almost 8, don’t you need to go on the bus?”

“Erm, I don’t use the bus anymore. And unfortunately, Jongin’s kinda late…” the words drift off.

Baekhyun is starting to regret every second of this, it’s too weird. 

“ And…” Chanyeol looks expectedly at him.

“ Would you mind giving me a lift to school? “ He rushes out and quickly adds “ I mean you don’t need to I can call the cab if you’re busy or anything…”

Chanyeol lets out a lighthearted chuckles. “Baekhyun, I gave you a ride to school for a whole month last year, it’s nothing.” 

As he sits comfortably in Chanyeol’s car. It smells like him. 

Chanyeol turns on the radio and hums to the music, the car ride was silent in a comfortable way, like both of them are keeping their distance, scared to go past the boundaries, even though Baekhyun has passed it since the letter got sent. 

When school is just around the corner, Baekhyun receives a text from Jongin. 

Sorry couldn’t make it today, I got held up, did you get to school safe?

Baekhyun left it on read, still pissed off at how irresponsible Jongin is. 

But seriously, this is the first time ever that Jongin’s picking him up, yet he still manages to couldn’t make it? 

Baekhyun thanks Chanyeol with a warm smile, Chanyeol smiles back, and in a long time, he sees that sweet smile again, the smile that made him falls for Chanyeol back then and still is now. That smile is so pure, so innocent, fills with warmth, it tugs him by the heart, and suddenly he has the urge to hug Chanyeol. 

So that’s what he does. 

He hugs him so tightly and mutters “Thankyou” quietly. 

Chanyeol smiles against his soft fluffy hair and hugs him back muttering “You’re always welcome Baek, you know that.” 

And suddenly, the fear he has been having for the past weeks vanished, the fear of rejection, the fear of change, of how his relationship with Chanyeol will be restrained after he receives the letter. It’s like they’re back to normal now like nothing have change. 

And now Baekhyun is thinking to himself “Has his letter made that little of an impact?” 

“You should quickly go, your boyfriend is waiting” Chanyeol gives him a nervous smile and a gentle pat on the shoulder.

His heart breaks a little seeing no jealousy coming from Chanyeol, but what can he say really, he has never been able to read Chanyeol since they were kids anyway. 

He turns his heels and heads towards his building, it’s not that crowded because people started getting into homeroom already. That’s when he spots Jongin leaning against the tree. 

Baekhyun continues walking at a normal pace, not bother to slow down and waits for Jongin. 

“ Look, I’m sorry okay, I have a good reason for being late, but I see you already found a ride.”Jongin sighs.

He has no rights to sighs, the one who should be is Baekhyun, not him. 

“ Sure, what’s your excuse, boyfriend?” 

“ I went to the store to get you some mocha donuts and it opens at 8, your favorite, remember?” 

Baekhyun feels the pit in his stomach tightened and immediately forgive Jongin mentally. Those mocha donuts are the best, but how did Jongin know?

“You probably wonder how I knew, it’s been your favorite since we were kids, remember how me, yixing, sehun, Kyungsoo, and you used to hang out?” 

Oh, the nostalgia of hopeless childhood friendship. Too pure to survive the wreck that is teenage years. 

“ Do you forgive me now? Please, I just wanted to do something special since it’s like the start line of this whole fake relationship thing.” 

Wow, how considerate is this guy seriously.

“ It’s okay Jongin, just please be on time next time okay?” 

Jongin now gives him a smug smile, and Baekhyun wants to return his words right at that moment.

~

At lunchtime when Baekhyun’s putting his books back in his locker, he sees Taeyeon lingering around.

“What’s up?”

“Um, hey, so I actually got this a while back and thought you might want it back…” Taeyeon waves his letter out of her bag. 

“ Oh that, don’t worry about it I wrote it years ago” He sighs with embarrassment.

“ It’s an honor really, thank you” She looks sincere. 

“ But you do know that I like girls right?” She leans in closer and whispers. 

No, he did not. 

“ Oh really? Yea of course I do.” Baekhyun waves it off, feeling the heat on his cheeks like wow how embarrassing, she probably looks at him like a weirdo now. 

“ So I would really appreciate it if you don’t tell anyone yet like I’m out but not out out you know?” 

“ Yea, of course.” He offers a smile and she walks back to her locker. 

That was odd.


	7. 2 Choix

Baekhyun couldn’t remember the last time the gang hung out. Kyungsoo used to be one of his best friends, but then one day he just ditched him for a better and cooler group of friends. Truth is Baekhyun was always scared of Kyungsoo since they were little. One time Kyungsoo locked him in the basement so he could sleepover and not escape, he needs to call for his mom. 

But despite his cold and diva-like cover, there’s something in him that Jongin is starstruck by. He still is. Baekhyun could see it in his eyes whenever Jongin talks about him. There’s a certain softness that came from the inside, something you cannot control, it just comes out naturally. 

It’s a Friday night. Meaning Baekhyun could finally go home and rest, read, and bake. But his plan was shattered when Jongin taps him on the shoulder in chemistry class.

Hiss. Jongin kicks the back of his chair. Then he slides a folded piece of post-it in his hands.

It reads:

“ Donghae’s party tonight? “ And besides it there’s a yes or no box. 

Baekhyun ticks “No”.

Jongin gives him a look when he sees the reply.

After class Jongin quickly steps in front of him while all his other friends already left. 

“ Come on! You gotta do this for me, Kyungsoo will probably bring his new college boyfriend too.” Jongin has a stern look on his face, pleading for Baekhyun to agrees.

“ Jongin, our agreement doesn’t include me going to parties”

“ But our agreement includes both of us saving each other’s face.” 

“ I even cover up your ass for you when Chanyeol came asking me about us”

Baekhun headshots up. Chanyeol went to Jongin? Again? When?

“ H-he did?” Baekhyun tries to keep his voice normal. 

“ Yea, about a day before we start this whole thing when I went to Barnes and noble, he happened to work there.” 

“what did you say to him?”

“ I told him about how happy we are and how much you’re such a cute lil cinnamon bun.” Jongin grins.

“ I could’ve blown your cover to pieces you know?” He smirks. This asshole smirks. 

“ Fine, but my curfew is at 12, so you better bring me home on time” 

At this Jongin gives him the biggest smile, he looks so young and fluffy all of the sudden. 

 

 

~~~

This is going to be the first high school party that he attends. Sure he attends parties before, like Sehun’s dog birthday party or Yixing middle school graduation party. But never parties with alcohol. Nervous is an understatement.

As they’re in front of Donghae’s house, Baekhyun can already smell alcohol from here, chilly air sending shivers down his spine. 

“You looks nice today.” 

“Smile.” Jongin practically shoves the phone in Baekhyun’s face, and snap a picture. 

“In case Kyungsoo checks my phone.” He adds and set the picture as his wallpaper.

At this, Baekhyun takes out his phone and do the same.

“Smile.” 

Jongin has such a perfect high school heartthrob face. Damn him. 

As Baekhyun sets the picture as his wallpaper, he just notices how smooth Jongin’s sun-kissed skin is. Which is the opposite of Chanyeol’s fair skin.

He likes fair skin more. 

“Are we gonna go in or are you gonna keep on staring.” Jongin smirks. 

How arrogant is this dude seriously? 

As they walk in the house party, a lot of guys high-fives with Jongin and Baekhyun just awkwardly stands behind him. 

After that, two guys name Minseok and Jongdae drag Jongin to sit with them and grab some beer. 

Jongin shouldn’t be drunk, because he needs to drive Baekhyun home.

“ Nah man, I’ll skip for today,” Jongin says when Minseok hands him a shot of vodka. 

“ Since when did Kai passed out on a free drink?” 

“ Since I have a little boyfriend I need to send home after.” Jongin points at Baekhyun who’s at the drink stands to pour himself a glass of soda. 

“ Oh yeah, what’s the deal with you two? Kyungsoo’s gone mad” 

“ He has a college boyfriend now,” Jongin says as a matter of fact. 

“ Yeah, but he still acts like you’re still his property, just look at the way he glares at you two.” Minseok whispers. 

~~

Baekhyun sits awkwardly on one of the sofas, alone. Kyungsoo and his few other friends join him soon after. 

Junmyeon, one of Kyungsoo friends leans in and acts like they’re all close.

“ So, you and Jongin huh.” 

“ Yea.,” Baekhyun replied awkwardly.

Where the fuck is Jongin when he needs him.

“ I think it’s adorable.” Kyungsoo places his glass on the table, smiling not so genuinely. 

“ So, tell me about when you two got together, we’d love to know,” Kyungsoo says with an expected look in his eyes.

Like his answer will means something, will change something. 

“ Um.. a week before school starts.” He tries to steady his voice. 

And that’s when Kyungsoo smile, more like a smirk. With some sparkles in his eyes glistening, like he just won something. 

Baekhyun already knew that he gave the wrong answer. 

~

Baekhyun decides to grab more soda, and he walks into Taeyeon on the way. 

“ Hey.” 

“ Hey.”

“ Baekhyun, I need to talk to you about something.” 

“Yea?”

“ Kyungsoo broke up with his college boyfriend, you know what that means right?”

Baekhyun gulps. Of course, he knew what that means. 

“ W-What?”

“ It means he’ll try to get Jongin back, Baekhyun!” Taeyeon says with a stern look.

“ Okay.”

“ Don’t let him do that.” 

“ Okay.” 

~

When he comes back to the main living room, all the seats are taken, and there he sees Jongin sitting on a couch, laughing with his friends from the football team.

So he thinks quickly, what would Kyungsoo do in situation like this? 

Baekhyun walks straight up through a crowd of people and sits on Jongin’s lap like it’s normally a thing he does. 

Jongin straightens up a little, looks at Baekhyun like he never before, thinking “ damn, this guy is full of surprise.”

“Hey, babe.” Baekhyun greets as he swirls his fingers in Jongin’s soft brown hair.

“ Hey.” Jongin recovers from his surprise look quickly and play along with Baekhyun. 

“ I need to talk to you.” He whispers in Jongin’s ears. 

“ Can’t it wait till after?” Jongin whispers back. 

Annoyed, Baekhyun stands up and walks away, trying to find Taeyeon who’s probably a better company then Jongin.

He searched upstairs and downstairs for the past 10 minutes, and still no sight of Taeyeon. 

When he gives up and enters the living room again. People are even drunker, some already passed out on the ground.

He’s so over this party and wants to go home to his bed. 

But Jongin is not in his seat anymore, while all of his friends are. 

That’s when he sees a trace of two figures in the kitchen. 

Kyungsoo and Jongin.

It seems like they’re in a heated conversation. A serious look on their faces. Kyungsoo’s hands-on Jongin’s shoulder. Jongin looks like he’s trying to get away, but Kyungsoo wouldn’t let him.

Finally, Jongin’s walks out of the kitchen, looking worked up and so pissed off. Baekhyun wonders what they talked about that got Jongin so worked up. But now is not the good time to ask, he’ll just ask when they arrived at Baekhyun’s house when Jongin finally cooled down and let Baekhyun in. 


	8. Bonne nuit

Jongin stomps out of the house, away from the party and to his car, not waiting for Baekhyun.

Baekhyun hurriedly bids goodbye to Taeyeon and follows after Jongin. As he seats inside Jongin’s warm car, he can still see that Jongin is still heated from the conversation he had earlier with Kyungsoo.

He wonders what it was that made Jongin like this. Did Kyungsoo tell Jongin about breaking up with his college boyfriend and now wants him back? Or did Kyungsoo confronts Jongin about their little dating scheme? Or did Kyungsoo sees through him and knew that it was fake? That this whole relationship is fake?

The whole ride was silent. Nothing but the sounds of the night, air blowing outside, and the car engine. When they arrive in front of Baekhyun’s house, Baekhyun is about to grab his bag and leave but then Jongin stops the car engine, which means that he wants to talk. So Baekhyun stays still, waiting for Jongin to speaks up, but he didn’t, so Baekhyun decides to open up first.

“ Do you… wanna talk about it?” 

“ It’s my fault.” Jongin blurts out solemnly.

What?

“ Kyungsoo thinks that I’m just using you to get over him, he thinks that I’ll go back to him eventually.”

But that’s true though, Baekhyun thought. They’re both using each other to get over someone. And the second one is true because now he’s just counting down to the moment Jongin gives up and runs back to Kyungsoo.

“ Did you say something to him? I saw you two talking back at the party.” Jongin turns to look at him. 

“ He asked me about when did we got together, so I said right before school starts.”  
   
At this Jongin lets out a groan and put his head on the steering wheels. 

“ We hooked up the weekend before school starts, of course, he’ll think that we’re not serious if I’m dating you and went fucking him at the same time.” 

Baekhyun cringes at this. Even though the story of Kyungsoo and Kai’s wild sex life is not anywhere near private in their high school, the topic of sex is still uncomfortable to talk about for Baekhyun. 

“ I’m sorry.” Baekhyun lets out a pout.

“ It’s okay.” Jongin sighs. 

The silence enters again. 

“ Baekhyunnie, may I ask you something?”

“ Of course, Jonginnie”   
“ Why don’t you ever date?” 

“ I don’t know, maybe because nobody ever asked?”

“ Bullshit, I knew for a fact that Yixing had this massive crush on you in 8th grade, he even planned on asking you to formal.”

Baekhyun eyes twinkle at the thought of this, Yixing, the sweetest boy with the cutest dimples. “He did?”

“ Dude you’re so gullible!” Jongin let out a fit of laughter.

Baekhyun lightly punches Jongin’s arms. 

“ But seriously though, why don’t you?”

Baekhyun lets out a breath before he answers. “I guess it’s because I don’t think that high school romance ever works. Like, you either will break up eventually or get married at the end, there’s no inbetween, its either one of these 2 choices. And if I don’t see myself getting married to this person, then what’s the point, right?”

Jongin is staring at him intently now, listening hard to what Baekhyun has to say. 

And so he continues. “ Don’t get me wrong, I’m some a romantic, I love love, but I just don’t think that I’ll find someone that I love, who loves me back at this time.” 

“ Just like you, do you love Kyungsoo?” 

“ why does that matters?”

“ Just answer.”

“ I guess? We’ve been together for almost 4 years, of course, I loved him.” And then he quickly adds: “ But I don’t anymore though, it stop since the moment he cheated on me.”

“ That’s not true,” Baekhyun says softly. “You can’t just suddenly stopped loving someone, it takes time for the love to fades away, maybe little by little, but I’m sure the love you had for him is still in there somewhere.” Baekhyun lightly touches Jongin’s chest, directly at his heart, where Kyungsoo is still in there, resting peacefully.

It’s about twenty seconds later that Jongin finally speaks up: “Maybe.”

“ Goodnight, Baekhyun.”

“ Goodnight, Jongin.” Baekhyun smiles up to the tan boy in front of him.

Jongin looks unreal, he’s so beautiful even under the dimmed street lights, it highlights his features perfectly and his sunkissed skin is glowing, he's literally perfect.


	9. Cassé maison

The weekend passes by like a flip of a page, then it’s back to the cycles of Monday through Friday again. 

It’s only Monday but Baekhyun is feeling so exhausted after he finished his homework at 10 pm. He comes downstairs to grab some late night snacks and drinks when he hears the muffled sound of a couple arguing next door. He already knew that it’s Chanyeol’s parents. They’ve always been on edge and argues all the time, but they never get a divorce. Before when they were kids, Chanyeol would come over to Baekhyun’s with his pajamas and sleeping bag, crying, afraid that his parents will split up, and Baekhyun would hugs Chanyeol and mutters comforting words. So today might be the same case as the others, Baekhyun walks over to turn on the lights in the kitchen, as a sign that it’s okay for Chanyeol to come over for awhile. 

Baekhyun made two cups of honey goodnight tea for both him and Chanyeol, which is their secret recipe they created years ago. He waits downstairs for 10 minutes before he hears the knocks on the door. 

Chanyeol looks exhausted. Under eyes bag all dark and crumbled. Eyes hazily looking at Baekhyun, too tired to say hello. 

“ Can I stay for a while?” 

“ Of course.”

Baekhun knows that “awhile” means all night, it has always been this way, Chanyeol coming over late at night and sleep over till the sunrise. 

“ I made us some tea, your favorite.” He gives Chanyeol a warm smile, and he smiles back a tired smile. 

“ You knows me so well.” And suddenly Chanyeol comes hugging Baekhyun, so tightly he can barely breathe.

“ Thankyou Baekkie, you know I love you the most, right?” 

Baekhyun doesn’t answer but just hugs him back as tightly.

“ It’s going to be okay Chanyeol, it’s going to,” Baekhyun whispers as he hears Chanyeol sniffling. 

That night Baekhyun is unable to sleep, his heart still beating knowing that Chanyeol is sleeping on the floor of his bedroom. Everything feels so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. This is not the first time that Chanyeol sleeps over, but this is the first time they’ve gotten this close after the whole letter-confession ordeal. 

“ Baek, are you up?” 

Of course, he’s up, how could he sleep in peace knowing that the love of his life is sleeping on the floor right now.

“ Yes.”

“ Can we finally talk? ” He can hear the hesitation in Chanyeol’s voice.   
“ About?”

Anything but the letter. Anything but the letter. Anything but the letter.

“ You and Jongin.” 

Baekhyun cough. “what about us?” 

“ It’s just, I don’t think he’s your type.” 

Baekhyun sits up at this, staring at the taller on the floor who’s already staring at him.

“ What do you mean he’s not my type.” He’s slightly on edge now. 

Chanyeol sigh. “ It’s just that you’re this sweet guy who doesn’t seem to be into jocks like him. You stay at home on Friday nights unlike him, partying every weekend…” 

“ So you’re saying that I’m homely.” His eyes narrow. 

Chanyeol quickly sits up too and shakes his head. “ No, No, I don’t mean it like that, I just thought that your type is more of someone who gets you, someone who can blend into your lifestyle…”

Chanyeol clear his throat and adds: “ He’s not good enough for you, that’s what I’m trying to say, a person like him…just doesn’t have anything deeper than that face of his you know?”

“ You don’t know Jongin to be judging him like that.” He intently stares at Chanyeol. 

“ I know him enough to know what he’s like, that dude is nothing but his looks, he has no personality.”

“ I don’t know why you think you’re entitled to judge Jongin when he’s honestly one of the sweetest guys ever if you know him like I do, you’ll like him, too.” 

Chanyeol scoffs. “ We’ll see.” And he gets back into his sleeping bag, facing the other way. 

And for that whole night, Baekhyun totally forgot about his whole scheme with Jongin, where he’s supposed to be avoiding Chanyeol and his embracing letter that got sent out. But now he’s doing the opposite. 


	10. Pureté

Sehun and Baekhyun are chilling during lunch time, even though it’s odd because Sehun never eats lunch. 

“ So, how far have you been with Kai?” Sehun asks as he munches on his salmon rolls. 

Baekhyun nearly chokes on his water. “Um…kissing?” 

“ Seriously? That’s it? No swept across your great ass or crotch?” Sehun wiggles his brows.

Baekhyun groans. “ Can we please stop talking about this I’m sensitive.” 

“ Come on, you gotta give him something, you don’t want him running back to Soo because of the dry season from you, right?” 

“ Stop.” Baekhyun whines.

“  Seriously though, all guys have needs, and that includes Chanyeol if you still think that your little neighbor is an innocent little fuck.” 

“ I’m sure that he is an innocent, Sehun.” Baekhyun frowns. Truth is Baekhyun just couldn’t bring himself into believing Chanyeol doing it with anyone. 

“ As much as I adore that guy, I can tell he got the kinks,” Sehun says seriously.

“ Okay, continue enjoying your food.” Baekhyun stuffs a spoonful of salad in Sehun’s mouth.

“ Sure will.” And he continues eating. 

“ Hey, I need to go to basketball practice.” Sehun starts packing up his lunch.

“ You’re gonna leave me here alone?” Baekhyun gives him his signature drowning puppy look.

“ Don’t be such a baby, go sit inside with Kai.” Sehun winks and jogs away.

~

Baekhyun finds a courage to walk inside to the cafeteria, and there he spots Jongin and his friends from football. He immediately regrets walking inside and quickly turns his heel to exit, but before he could do so, Jongin calls him over.

“ Byunnie!” Jongin waves at him with a big smile on his face.

So Baekhyun stiffly walks over to Jongin’s table. Where he sees Minseok and Jongdae, Jongin’s close friends.

“ How’s my boyfriend doing?” Jongin leans in a little too close.

“ Great.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes.

Then Jongin spots his rice rolls in the lunchbox.

“ These looks good, can I try?” 

“ Go off.” Baekhyun waves.

Jongin starts munching on the rice rolls “ Yum.”

He looks like a little kid, so cute. And then he grabs another and pops in his mouth with a dreaming looks on his face. Baekhyun knows that he’s more than just his angelic godlike face, Jongin is more than that and Chanyeol is completely wrong.

The scene in front of him is so cute and adorable that Baekhyun forgets for a second that all of this is fake, and when the realization kicks in, his smile turns down into a slight frown. That’s when Baekhyun knew how much he was smiling earlier. Jongin notices this.

“ What’s wrong?” As he touches Baekhyun’s shoulder.

“ Nothing.” Baekhyun offers him a tight smile.  
“ Are you hungry? I’m sorry I ate your food, I’ll go buy some sandwich for you.” 

He starts to stands up but Baekhyun grabs his wrist and put him back down.

“ It’s okay, I’m not hungry.” He gives Jongin a genuine smile, to assure him.

“ Okay,” Jongin says carefully.

“ Here, eat another one, I know you have football practice after.” Baekhyun grabs another rice roll and put it in front of Jongin. “Say Aah.”

Jongin frowns. “ No it’s fine Baekhyun, you eat, you’re so small already.”

At this Minseok pops in; “ If he won’t eat, I will.” And he opens his mouth for Baekhyun to pop the rice roll in.

Jongin immediately swats Minseok off and open his mouth; “Aah”, and Baekhyun pops the rice roll in. 

“ I’m jealous of you Kai, I wish I have someone to make me lunch and feed me like that.” Jongdae laughs. 

~~

During afterschool, Jongin and Baekhyun is hanging out in the library. Jongin is playing with his phone and Baekhyun is doing his chemistry homework. But then a question pops into his head.

“ Do you think a couple would immediately sleep together after getting together?” 

Jongin is fully awake now and looks at Baekhyun with all his attention.

“ Well, not all, it also depends on the person.” 

“ Who are we talking about?”

“ Noone.” 

“ Baekhyun.” Jongin gives him side eyes.

“ Fine! It’s Chanyeol.”

“ Oh that next door kid, he dated that girl Wendy right?” 

Baekhyun is surprised Chanyeol’s relationship is under Jongin’s radar at all since Chanyeol is not popular at all in school. 

“ Yep.”

“ I’m sure they fucked.”

“ Urgh, can you please use other dictions?” Baekhyun groans. 

“ Let me rephrase that then… How about.. they reproduced?” Jongin asks suggestively.

Baekhyun slaps Jongin by the shoulder. “ Asshole.” And his hand stings a little because it hits hard muscles.

“ Owww.” Jongin whines, even though it doesn’t affect him one bit. What a drama queen. 

Then Jongin moves over and lays his head on Baekhyun’s lap, which throws Baekhyun off right away. 

“ I’m sleepy, tell me a bedtime story Baekhyunnie.” He closes his eyes peacefully.

“ Don’t flirt with me, Kai.” Baekhyun laughs a little.

“ I’m not!” Jongin eyes shoot up.

“ Yes you did, you flirt with everyone.”

“ Not with you.” Jongin sits up and checks his phone again.

Baekhyun regrets saying anything at all. Regrets his loud blabs for breaking the moment.


	11. Passé

Wendy was Chanyeol’s ex-girlfriend, they went out for 2 years in 9th and parts of 10th grade. But at the end of the semester in 10th grade, she dropped out of school and moved across the country. There are many rumors circling why she dropped out. But Baekhyun’s sure that one of the main reasons she decided to leave was because of how her collection of nude pictures got leaked on Instagram and Twitter. Nobody knows who’s behind the explicit pictures scandals. But Baekhyun and Sehun always knew that it’s her new boyfriend (who’s now an ex) that leaked them. From a nobody, Wendy turned into a “girl who got her nudes leaked”.

Chanyeol and Wendy broke up right before the second half of 10th grade, then a few weeks later she dated a guy named Jikwon, Chanyeol was extremely hurt and furious when he found out. But Baekhyun never heard about anything after that, because Chanyeol never speaks to him about it. 

A few days after Wendy dropped out of school, Jikwon also dropped out, some say he got kicked out of school and is now backpacking in Brazil. But who knows?

Chanyeol didn’t date anyone after that since it’s not even over a year since they broke up. But Baekhyun would wish for Chanyeol to finally moved on, to finally see him.  There’s one thing Baekhyun should be thanking Wendy for though, which is the fact that she half bent Chanyeol. 

 

~~

 

Halloween is Baekhyun’s favorite holiday of all time. The orange leaf, the cool breeze that’s not too freezing, or pumpkin pastries in the bakery, everything just feels so right during Fall. Every year Baekhyun would always go all out for his Halloween costume, he ordered an imported orange suit to be Eggie from Kingsman in 9th grade. He DIYed his own Jack Sparrow outfits in 10th grade which took him at least 2 months to do so. But for this year, Baekhyun wants to try something new. He’ll surprise everyone by wearing pajamas on Halloween day. 

“ Do you want to wear a couple costumes for Halloween?” Jongin asks when they’re on their way to school.

“ Nah, I already planned my costumes.” 

“ Seriously? You wouldn’t even wait for me.” Jongin pout.

“ I’m sorryyy, I value Halloween a lot so please let me have my time to shine Nini.” 

“ Did you just called me Nini?” Jongin laughs.

“ Yea, got a problem?”

“ No, it’s what Soo used to call me.” 

There’s a slight strain in his voice that Baekhyun can hear. He’s sure that they’re not over yet. 

“ Let’s not talk about him, let’s plan on what we’re gonna do on Halloween day!” Baekhyun gives Jongin the brightest smile, wanting to bring his mood up. 

“ Yeah!” He looks relief.

“ I have a bucket list with me.” Baekhyun takes his small diary out of the backpack and starts reading the list.

“ 1. Go trick or treating around 5 blocks, knocking on every single house.  
"  2. Go skinny dipping during ghost hour, 3 AM”

“ I can escort you on number 2.” Jongin smirks 

"  3. Kiss someone in the haunted house, in front of all the ghosts”

Jongin snickers. “ Playing with the dead… Is that your kink?” 

Baekhyun ignores his remarks and continue.

“ 4. Make sure nobody recognized me at Halloween party. Not a soul.” 

“ That’s it for now, some others I have in mind is just too unrealistic.” 

“ Tell me.” Jongin throws him a challenging look. 

“ I want to hook up with someone who cosplays as a character in the haunted house at the arcade.” 

“ Don’t judge.” Baekhyun quickly adds. 

Jongin is full on laughing now. “ What’s with you and your weird ass kinks.” 

“ You’ll cum blood instead,” Jongin adds while laughing.  
“ Shut up, this is why I don’t tell you.” Baekhyun pout. 

“ I’m not judging I swear, everybody has kinks, I understand, yours just… seasonal kinks.” 

Now Baekhyun is the one laughing. “ Seasonal kinks, imagine someone with Christmas kinks, they’d be cosplaying as Santa Claus and reindeer.”

“ I love Christmas and winter, stop corrupting my favorite holiday like that.” Jongen pout cutely. 

“ This is not my proudest moment but let’s enjoy it while it lasts.” Baekhyun hums. 

“ A virgin with needs I see.” Jongin smirks. 

“ Everyone has needs, Jongin.” He says as-a-matter-of-fact. 

“ True.” Jongin smirks. Again. Does this boy ever get tired of smirking all the time? 

 

~~

 

That after-school Jongin asks Baekhyun to study Chemistry together at Baekhyun’s place. They’re in the living room sitting on the floor with textbooks on scatters around. It’s mostly Baekhyun who’s actually studying, while Jongin keeps on checking his phone and playing footsies with Baekhyun, in which Baekhyun ignores. 

“ You looks cute with glasses, you should wear it more often” Jongin speaks up, breaking the silence.

“ Thanks, but no thanks, I only wear glasses when I’m at home.” Baekhyun says, nose all scrunches up.

“ Why? You look like an actual puppy in glasses, so adorable.” Jongin says as he reaches over and ruffles Baekhyun’s soft hair. 

“ Well if you couldn’t already tell my eyes are small enough, Chanyeol said glasses makes it looks even smaller.” 

Jongin scoffs. “ Fuck what he said, your eyesight is more important, plus you look extremely fluffy and huggable right now, come here” 

“ My eyesight is not even that bad I only need it when I stud—“ He’s cut off when Jongin suddenly wraps him in a blanket and roll it until he looks like an actual burrito wraps. 

Then Jongin scoots closer and hugs his new burrito plushies. 

Only Baekhyun’s face is showing while his entire body is wrapped in a blanket, so he couldn’t move or see what Jongin is exactly had in his mind, what he can feel is too warm arms wrapping around him.

“ Um, Jongin? What are you doing?” 

“ Protecting my Baekhyunnie from any harms in this dark scary world,” Jongin says, arms still wraps around Baekhyun and face buried in his blanket-covered shoulder. 

Jongin can be such a sweetheart and softy at times, like right now. This side of him never fails to warm Baekhyun’s heart like a bowl of soup, I guess you could say Baekhyun have a soft spot for Jongin having a soft spot for Baekhyun. 

They stay like that in silence humming to Christmas music softly for minutes until they're interrupted by a loud phone notification. 

“ It’s yours.” 

“ Do you mind passing it to me, I can’t really walk right now because of someone.” 

Jongin passes the phone to Baekhyun, he unlocks it and the text he recently received pops up.

Yeollie: I ordered Thai takeouts, can I come over to yours? I have your favorite pad thai ;) 

Baekhyun eyes suddenly glow at this, pad thai is his second favorite food ever. He quickly unwraps himself and types back “ Yes!” 

But before he can hit send, Jongin peeps up from behind, already reading the conversation.   
“ He’s coming over?” He asks annoyed. 

“ He got my favorite Pad Thai, couldn’t turn that down.” Baekhyun hit send.

“ You could’ve told me before we came back! I would’ve dropped by that Thai restaurant and get something for the both of us.” 

“ You can stay and eat with us Jongin, I’m not telling you to leave.” 

“ You’re already telling me to leave since the moment you received that text.” Jongin starts to stands up and packs his bag. 

“ Jongin, come on, just stay with us, I want you guys to get to know each other more.” Baekhyun grabs his wrist. 

“ Well sorry, but I don’t want to know him any more than this.” He says bitterly. 

Baekhyun pause for a second. “ Are you mad?” 

But before Jongin could answer, they hear a doorbell. In which Jongin walks over to the door and opens it to see a smiley Chanyeol whose smile turns into a frown when he sees Jongin. 

“ See you tomorrow, Baek,” Jongin says with a small smile before walking out of the house. 

Baekhyun watches as he starts his engine and drives off until his car cannot be seen anymore. 

“ Here’s your pad Thai,” Chanyeol says with a big grin, placing it on the kitchen table.

“ Thank you, Chanyeol.”

“ It’s my treat, just want to thank you for letting me stay the night.” Chanyeol gently holds Baekhyun’s hands.

“ I’m sorry, too, for the pain I caused you when I dated Wendy, I couldn’t imagine how hard it was for you.” Chanyeol sighs.

“ Truth is…ever since I received that letter, I couldn’t possibly get you out of my mind.” The taller smiles at Baekhyun with a glint of hope in his eyes. 

Baekhyun gulps. It feels so wrong, Chanyeol shouldn’t like him because of the letter, he should like him for who he is, not just because of the confession. Everything is just turning upside down for Baekhyun, as he’s trying to get over Chanyeol, here Chanyeol is, sitting with him in his house eating dinner together when Baekhyun has a fake boyfriend who’s possibly mad at him right now. 


	12. David Bowie

8:00 AM

Baekhyun is getting ready in the morning feeling fresh as ever. He’s going to be wearing his favorite pajamas and his bear eye cover. The air is chilly outside and he needs to wear an extra shirt inside to keep him warm. He decides to use the school bus today so he can surprise Jongin at school, he wants the best reaction out of everyone.

He enters the school to the crowd of girls dressing up as Harley Quinn, they all looks the same with booty shorts and tight shirts. While boys dress up as Joker or one of the Marvel superheroes. People look at Baekhyun with many expressions as he walks past them, some with surprise, adoring, or confused face. 

 

He hasn’t seen Jongin yet, but then one person in a full ironman suit catch his eyes. From head to toe, that person is covered with iron and beeping light, that costumes look pricey. Baekhyun admires whoever’s inside for valuing Halloween like he does. That’s when the covered iron man mask suddenly swipes up and inside is Chanyeol looking at him all smiley.

“ Oh my god Yeol.” Baekhyun burst out laughing.

“ Cool right? I spend a shit ton on this.” 

“ Extremely! I’m impressed.” 

“ Glad you are.” Chanyeol grins. 

“ But.. what exactly.. are you?” Chanyeol looks up and down, trying to figure out his costume. 

“ No one.” Baekhyun shrugs.

“ I thought Halloween is your favorite holiday? You used to ask me to go trick or treating with you all the time.” 

And you didn’t because you’d rather spend your Halloween night with Wendy. Baekhyun thought but of course, he keeps it inside.

“ I’ll dress up for tonight’s party at Siwon’s though.” 

“ Don’t get me wrong, you look perfect in your.. pajamas.” Channel gives him another warm smile that makes his heart swell.

“ Thank you! Are you going to be there tonight?” 

“ I don’t know… all my friends are going out of town tonight so..” He trails off. 

“ We can go together, we’re neighbors after all.”

“ Sounds great! Just call me when you’re done getting ready tonight okay?”

“ Of course!” 

The bell rings and it’s time for the first period, which is a free block for Baekhyun. He turns the corner and sees Jongin for the first time that day. He’s wearing a black and white checkered with the first few buttons unbuttoned exposing his toned sun-kissed skin. His shirt is tugged into a creme colored tight pants and he’s very a leather shoe. He looks so good with that red lightning bolt going across half his face.

“ Are you checking me out?” Jongin asks cooly.

“ I was checking your outfit, not you.” 

“ Sure.” And then Jongin checks his phone and starts to walks away, but before he could go any further, Baekhyun grabs him by the sleeve of his shirt and stops him.

“ Can I talk t you real quick?”

“ Sure.” Jongin shrugs.

And then Baekhyun is too scared to ask. 

“ You looks really nice dressed up as David Bowie, you nailed it.”

Jongin pauses for a second and before thanking him. The smiley and playful Jongin is gone. Is he still mad about what went down the day before? 

“ Are you still mad at me?” 

“ Me? Mad? About what?” Jongin asks, confused.

Oh, so Baekhyun was the one who overthinks it in the first place, thinking his action could affect Jongin when it really didn’t. 

‘I look like boo boo the fool’ he thought.

“ Nevermind.” Baekhyun gives Jongin a tight smile and starts to walk to his first period that he’s now 5 minutes late to.

“ You looks really nice too, Baek,” Jongin says in a soft voice.

“ Thank you,” Baekhyun says with a little smile. 

~~

During lunchtime, Sehun has basketball practice so Baekhyun needs to eat alone during lunch. Because he doesn’t think that today is a right time to go sit with Jongin considering how they’ve been on the edge this past few days. 

But Baekhyun has a pit in his stomach that whatever is going on between them right now is his fault, and he truly wants to apologize.

To: Jongin

Hey.. are you going to the Halloween party tonight?

He receives a reply only seconds later.

Yes.

 

Just a “Yes”. He supposed to say something more than that, so Baekhyun can initiate the conversation and ask if they wanna hang out there. 

He receives another reply.

Jongin: Why?

Just wondering. He quickly types

Jongin: Are you going?

Baekhyun: Yes.

Jongin: How about I pick you up at 8? 

Baekhyun: It’s okay, Chanyeol offered me a ride, Thanks tho

He’s waiting for a reply but then he felt a tap on his shoulder that made him jump.

“ Seriously? I’m your boyfriend but you’re going with him?” Jongen eyes narrow looking down at him.

Baekhyun pats a seat next to him and says: “ He’s also going to the party and we literally live next door.” 

“ And I only live 3 streets down.” 

“ Go with me or else I’m canceling doing the bucket list with you,”  Jongin adds. 

“ Okay, okay, fine, I’m going with you okay? I’ll cancel on him.” 

“ That’s my princess.” Jongin grins and ruffles Baekhyun’s soft hair. 

“ I need to go, but see you tonight, be there at 8.” Jongin smiles.

It’s only now that Baekhyun realizes Jongin smiles more than smirks because Jongin used to smirks at him all the time. This is the character development Baekhyun is more than grateful about. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~ How are you guys? Are you liking how things goes so far, please comment huhu -3-
> 
> BAEKHYUN'S BD IS IN LIKE 2 HOURS OUR BOBOHU IS FINALLY TURNING 3 IM EMO-L. BUT next chapter is gonna be wild and I hope you look forward to it! 
> 
> The outfits I'm referring to for Baek and Jongin is their costumes from SMTOWN halloween party 2015! Remains iconic.


	13. Halloween night (1/2)

Halloween Night.

Baekhyun managed to text Chanyeol, canceling their plans, Chanyeol wasn’t mad nor pissed, it’s like he doesn’t feel affected at all. Which turned out to stings Baekhyun heart. But Baekhyun pushed that thought away when he knew that he’s going with Jongin, his boyfriend.

Baekhyun put on a dark eyeliner that sharpens his small eyes, and red contacts that made him looks not-so-innocent anymore. He wore a white dress shirt and a vampire cape. Hair messed up from the gel. Baekhyun tried to be somebody else that night, and he’s glad that even he himself, couldn’t remember who’s standing in front of him in the mirror.

Baekhyun heard a bell on his front door, he already knew that it’s Jongin. 

“ Hey!” Baekhyun said as he climbed into Jongin’s convertible. 

Jongin is still wearing the same David Bowie costume, makeup slightly smudged. So Baekhyun reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out an eyeliner. And he turned Jongin’s head towards him and leans in. Fingers softly at Jongin’s cheekbones and he carefully outline the old trace of the lightning bolt that goes across his face. 

“Erm. What are you doing?”

“ Your makeup is all smudged, you don’t want to look like a worn out David Bowie do you?”

“ Oh, Thanks, Baek.”

“ You looks really good by the way, I almost couldn’t remember you when you walked out the door.” Jongin looks up and down.

For a moment Baekhyun thought that he’s checking him out. But that must be wrong.

Because Baekhyun knew, deep in his heart, that he and Kyungsoo are the complete polar opposite. Baekhyun is loud, but Kyungsoo is quiet. Kyungsoo keeps things to himself most of the time, which makes him mysterious, making people wanting to discover more about him. But for Baekhyun, he’s so easy to read. He’s transparent, people don’t need to come up and talk to him to know what’s going on, it’s all laid out on his facial expression. Baekhyun hates that about himself, he wants to be more quiet, more exclusive, he tried to, but that didn’t work. It make sense if Kyungsoo doesn’t believe their whole facade, it just doesn’t make sense. Baekhyun and Jongin don't make sense.

“ Hey what are you thinking about?” Jongin asked as he turns the steering wheel.

“ Nothing.”

“ Bull shit, it’s all written on your face.”

“ Yeah, cause I’m really easy to read, right?”

“ Exactly! I mean you’re not a good liar, I can see through everything.”

And that’s exactly what he’s talking about, he doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like the fact that he can’t control himself to be untransparent.

“ What, did I said something wrong? I’m sorry.” Jongin said, worried, as he noticed the look on Baekhyun’s face.

And when Baekhyun didn’t reply, Jongin continues. “ I didn’t mean that in a bad way, Baekhyun.”

“ Then what way did you mean?” Baekhyun said sarcastically.

“ What I mean, is that I like that trait of yours. It made things less complicated, this way, I’ll know what you like, or what you don’t like, or when you’re lowkey pissed, as in right now.”

Baekhyun’s mood is slightly lifted by this remark.

“ Feeling better?” Jongin smirked.

“ You’re so full of yourself.” Baekhyun laughed. 

“ I mean it, though, Kyungsoo was so hard to read, and he wouldn’t say anything if he’s pissed at me, it’s like I’m playing puzzles all the time when we were in a relationship, it was exhausting.” 

“ You know he’s going to be there, right, in the party?”

Jongin scoffs. “ Of course I knew, he actually asked me to talk, to discuss what happened between us.”

“ What’s there to discuss, he cheated on you. Simple.” 

“ Exactly!” Jongin exclaimed as he turns the corner, and now they can hear music blasting from a mansion, Siwon’s house. 

“ We’re here.” Jongin parked in front of a stranger’s house, three houses away from the party. 

“ Wow, his mansion is so big.” 

“ Yea, dude’s loaded.” 

“ So, what do you want to do?”

“ Party, of course.”

What about my bucket list you promised. Baekhyun thought to himself.

“ Don’t worry Byun, text me when you’re done, okay? I’ll go find you.”

“ Where are you going?” 

“ The haunted house, Kyungsoo asked me to meet there.” 

“ Okay.”

“ Text me when you’re done?”

“ Of course.” 

And at that, they parted. 

Baekhyun walked into the mansion, already feeling nauseous from all the lights glaring on his face, and bodies rubbing against him while he squeezed himself into the kitchen, wanting to grab some soda to drink.

“ Baekhyun?” Junmyeon, Kyungsoo best friend said while he leaned on the counter.

“ Oh hey, Junmyeon.” He said awkwardly.

“ Wow, I almost couldn’t remember you.” 

“ What are you doing drinking soda?” Junmyeon laughs and he grabs the rep cup next to him and hands it to Baekhyun.

“ Here, have this.” Junmyeon smiles.

“ Thanks.” He hesitantly grabbed the cup from Junmyeon.

“ See you in school.” 

Baekhyun walked outside as the cold breeze of wind hits him, it’s nice, to finally breathes in fresh air instead of sweat. Suddenly, Baekhyun feels so lonely, he wants to go home, but Jongin is still nowhere in sight, and he’s his ride. 

Just right in time, Chanyeol texted. And Baekhyun is more than grateful that he’s not going to be alone after he practically got ditched by Jongin. 

“ Hey, Byun.” A voice from behind surprised him.

“ Yeol!”

“ Why are you sitting out here alone? Where’s Kai.” Chanyeol looks around.

“ He’s..at the haunted house.”

“ He ditched you?”

“ No!” Baekhyun said a little too fast. “ I’m just. scared of the haunted house, that’s why.”

“ Haunted house is like the highlight at Siwon’s party, it’s legit the best.”

“ Nah not my style.”

Chanyeol dragged him up. “ Come one, Byun, it’s Halloween! Don’t be boring.”

“ No.” 

“ Please?” Chanyeol used his puppy eyes trick. 

“ Okay! Fine! But you need to promise to stay by my side at all time, okay?”

“ Of course, I’ll protect you from the dead,” Chanyeol said as he wrapped one arm around Baekhyun’s shoulder, pulling him close. 

As the two of them walked into the haunted house, Baekhyun grabs onto Chanyeol’s arm, hiding.

“ If I get a heart attack, it’s all your fault.”

“ Always so dramatic.” Chanyeol laughs.

It’s only the first room, but it’s deadly silence, there’s no clown or dressed-up ghost, but the atmosphere alone makes Baekhyun goes insane.

“ Can you like walk faster?” Baekhyun whispered.

“ I would love to but you’re clinging on to me,” Chanyeol whispered back.

The world starts to spin and Baekhyun feels dizzy. It must’ve been the artificial color and scent that they put in the room. 

Just when they’re about to walk into the next room, they stopped, because there are still people inside. They were just standing there, clinging onto each other, the taller male carries the smaller’s so tenderly Baekhyun was almost envy of their love. 

“ Are they going to stay there forever,” Chanyeol said in annoyance. 

Baekhyun squints his eyes harder to see, his vision and mind are playing tricks and Chanyeol’s words seem so far away. 

But then he saw them. Jongin and Kyungsoo. He’s not surprised really, something in him already knew from the start that Jongin is still Kyungsoo’s. And no matter what happened, half of his heart will always belong to Kyungsoo. So when Jongin told him Kyungsoo asked him to meet up and talk, he already sensed the end to all of this, the end of whatever they have going on. 

“ Baekhyun.. are you okay?” Chanyeol must’ve noticed the look on his face, because Chanyeol noticed the two of them, too. 

“ No, I feel like puking.” Baekhyun couldn't stand on his own anymore and he collapsed onto Chanyeol. 

“ Baekhyun! Oh my god.” Chanyeol took the red cup that slipped from Baekhyun’s hands and smells it. 

“ Fuck it’s spiked,”  Chanyeol muttered to himself as he grabs onto Baekhyun’s body and carried him outside. 

Jongin and Kyungsoo, walked out ten minutes after and saw the state that Baekhyun and Chanyeol were in. 

Jongin eyes go wide and he quickly rushes to Baekhyun side, hand on his cheeks.

“ What the fuck happened.” 

“ I don’t know, you tell me, didn’t you came here with him?” Chanyeol said, eyes glaring to Jongin, and drift to Kyungsoo, who’s just standing there watching. 

“ Jongin, maybe he’s just sleepy.” 

“ Kyungsoo, please just go inside.” Jongin snapped, hands still on baekhyun’s face. 

“ His drink was spiked,” Chanyeol spoke up as he watches Kyungsoo walks away. 

“ What?!? Who the fuck would do that.” 

“ Your ex-boyfriend?” Chanyeol said like it’s the most obvious thing ever.

“ No, he wouldn’t do that.” Jongin shakes his head. 

“ How are you so sure? Did you asked him?”

“ I will just go back to the party, Park, I can take care of my own boyfriend.”

At this Chanyeol lets out a fit of a laugh. “ Oh, you sure about that? Then why did you left him in the first place? Baekhyun doesn't have a good alcohol tolerance, you must know that since you’re his boyfriend, right?”. Chanyeol looks at him expectantly. 

“ Of course I knew.” 

“ Good. You better take good care of him, he likes you a lot.” 

“ He does?” 

“ Of course he does, he’s your boyfriend isn’t he?”

“ And you better care about him as much as he cares about you, or else I’m not backing up next time.” Chanyeol glares at him and finally walks away. 

“ Jongin?” Baekhyun slurred.

“ Baekhyun, are you feeling better?” Jongin pushed the strand of hair from Baekhyun’s pale face. 

“ What were you doing with Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun whispered. 


	14. Halloween night (2/2)

“ What were you doing with Kyungsoo in there?” Baekhyun whispered. 

“ Apparently he has some issues going on at home, I’m just being a good friend,” Jongin said softly and continues holding onto Baekhyun, who’s still lying on the ground.

“ You still love him.”

“ No, I don’t” 

“ How are you sure?” Baekhyun is still half asleep.

“ Because I don’t feel anything when I’m with him anymore.”

“ that’s easy to say.”

“ It’s not when I knew I might have feelings for someone else, Baekhyun,” Jongin said softly to the top of Baekhyun’s head.

Baekhyun didn’t say anything for a while.

“ Do you want to go home?” Jongin spoked up first.

“ No.”

“ Then… what do you want to do?”

Baekhyun sits up and looks at Jongin. “ Can we go skinny dipping?” 

“ What?” Jongin is taken aback by the question that he’s still registering it in his head.

“ I said, do you want to go skinny dipping? Don’t you remember my Halloween bucket list?” 

“ Y-yes, but Baekhyun, I think you’re still feeling dizzy from the drink—“

“ I’m not that drunk!”

“ What if you drown?”

“ I wouldn’t because I’ll be clinging to you before that can happen.” Baekhyun smiles. And Jongin almost gave in.

“ No, come, let’s get you home” Jongin sighs and stands up, offering Baekhyun a hand.

“ Come on it’s not even my curfew yet.” Baekhyun threw himself on the taller.

“ You need to sleep it off Baekhyun, or else you’ll feel like shit tomorrow, Just trust me, Okay?” Jongin held Baekhyun face between his palms.

“ Fine, dad.” Baekhyun pout. 

“ You can save that name for later use,” Jongin mutters.

Baekhyun gasps. “ Kim Jongin, are you telling me you have a daddy kink?” 

“ No!” 

“ I don’t believe you~”

“ I don’t,” Jongin said firmly.

“ I’ve always known you’ve always been a kinky lil thing.” 

Jongin coughs. “ I’m…not a fan of roleplay?” A blush slowly creeps to his cheeks. 

“ Like, I like intimacy more than just rough roleplay.”

Baekhyun processes it in. “ Oh, so you’re saying that you’re a vanilla in bed.”

Jongin blushes even harder. “ I didn’t say that!”

“ So do you like showered Kyungsoo with love before he blows a load?”

Jongin stays silenced.

“ Oh my god you do!” Baekhyun is full on laughing now, falling down onto the grass.

“ So what if I am? I like making love, not fucking.” 

“ It’s nice you actually got some released.” 

“ And you don’t?” Jongin asked curiously.

“ I’m a virgin.”

“ I can tell.”

Baekhyun kicks Jongin’s thigh at this and Jongin also fell down laughing. 

“ You know you can get released without, like, actually having sex  right.”

“ Are you talking about masturbation?”

“ Y-yeah.”

“ Were you asking me if I masturbate.”

“ No! I’m just saying you don’t need to have sex in order to released.”

“ Of course I do Jongin, I mean who doesn’t in this economy.” 

“ Right.” 

Jongin looks so awkward right now it’s funny. He’s usually the guy who would jokes around about topics like this.

“ When was the last time you had sex?”

“ I’m not having this conversation with you Baekhyun, it’s too weird.” Jongin shakes his head, and Baekhyun could see his cheeks heating up, again.

“ Why not?”

“ B-because, you’re inexperienced, and sometimes you ask too many blunt questions.” Jongin eyes narrowed at Baekhyun. 

“ I’m full of curiosity, and you’re the first guy that is not a virgin and is someone I can ask these questions to.”

“ You can ask Chanyeol.”

Baekhyun eyes furrowed. “ What? No. Chanyeol’s a virgin, he wouldn’t know anything.”

“ You still thinks that dude’s a virgin? Stop lying to yourself dude we all knew he and Wendy had it rough.”  
   
“ No, he doesn’t,” Baekhyun said weakly, gulping. This kind of things, Chanyeol would tell him, right? But he didn’t. 

“ Well I’m not blind and I walked in on him and Wendy at Donghae’s party once last year.”

“ Did you actually see his dick in her to say that?” 

“ They were doggy styling, imagine at your own risk, I guess.” Jongin shrugs.

Baekhyun eyes widen. 

Jongin is laughing really hard now. “ Baekhyunnie, you’re so innocent it’s cute.”

Baekhyun stays in silence. 

And before Jongin could say any other explicit details about his or chanyeol’s sex lives, they reached the car. 

Jongin opened the door for Baekhyun and Baekhyun stepped inside, not bothered to say thank you. Not that Jongin noticed though. 

The car ride was silent. The neighborhood they drove past still has Halloween decorations on their balcony and foyers. Neither of the two spoke up first for the entire ride, still waiting for the other person to speak up. 

When Jongin parked the car in front of Baekhyun’s house, Baekhyun is ready to jump out of it and get to the comfort of his bed and sleep till noon tomorrow since it’s a Saturday. But before his hand can grab the door, Jongin stops him first.

“ Are you free tomorrow evening?”

“ Yes? Why?” 

“ I owe you a skinny dip.” Jongin smiles at him, head turning the other way. 

“ Oh, that.”

Baekhyun is starting to regret even asking Jongin to go skinny dipping with him in the first place. He doesn't have the adrenaline he had an hour ago anymore, by tomorrow’s evening, his confidence will all be back to zero. 

“ So, you still in?”

“ Y-yeah, of course, see you tomorrow?” Baekhyun doesn’t want to seem weak or naive, so he still puts up the act. 

“ Yeah, I’ll text you.” 

Then Baekhyun steps out of Jongin’s car. But before he can walk more than 5 steps away, Jongin stops him, again.

“ Baekhyun waits, you forgot your cape.”

“ Oh, thanks.” Baekhyun grabs the fabric from Jongin. 

And then he and Jongin lock eyes contact, and before Baekhyun could process anything further, Jongin leans out of the car and plant his lips on Baekhyun’s. It was nice, with innocent small pecks here and there. 

Jongin pulls away and gives Baekhyun a peck on his forehead. “ Bye Baek.” He smiles.

Baekhyun didn’t know how long he stood there until the wind blew and his exposed skin is crying for warmth. The ghost of Jongin’s plumb warm lips on his is still lingering. 

If this was two months ago when they started this facade, he would’ve pushed Jongin away. But now, two months later, he yearns for more. Baekhyun is pretty sure he likes the kiss. He’s pretty sure he likes him. 

When Baekhyun is all set to sleep and was charging his phone on his nightstand. He sees a text from Jongin pops up.

I’m sorry about earlier, but Chanyeol was there, I’m just trying to make us looks realistic.

Oh. So that was what it’s all about. Baekhyun sighs and shut his phone. A lump on his throat starts to grow and his eyes start to water. Why does it have to be Jongin? 


	15. Forgotten date

Baekhyun woke up the night morning feeling like death. Actual death. Like the devil already collected his soul and only left him with a body that contains no function. Memories from last night seem so far away like it happened 6 months back.

Baekhyun lay on his bed for the next hour until his back aches and told him to start with his day. He came downstairs to the dining room, his mom already prepared him breakfast since 8am.

He picked on the egg whites and starts eating his breakfast.

By the time he came back to his bedroom, it’s already 2 pm and he should really do something. It’s unusual for Byun Baekhyun to be this unproductive, normally he’d find something to do by now, like sketching, reading, or going out with Sehun. But today is an extremely rare case.

It is no questions that the reason behind Baekhyun’s unusual solemness is because of the one and only, Kim Jongin.

He still remembers crystal clear of what Jongin promises him yesterday. That he’ll text, that they’ll go out camping today.

Baekhyun groans as he flops on his bed. Of course, Jongin forgot, or perhaps he never meant to take him out in the first place. As his thought roams around his head, his notification goes off. His heart took a leap, picking the phone up, wishing and hoping that it’s from Jongin. However, faith isn’t on Baekhhyun side today, because it’s just a lazy text from Sehun.

**_Hey, wanna hang?_ **

Since he has nothing better to do, he decides that why not, him and Sehun haven’t been talking much lately and they could do some catching up.

Baekhyun put on a track pant and throw on some hoodies and he’s good to go.

They decided to meet up at a diner around the corner, which sells the best milkshake around town. They sat in their usual booths, which is at the farthest end of the aisle, meaning more privacy for them. Even though it’s only 4 pm and no one came to get dinner at this time yet, making Sehun and Baekhyun the only two customers.

After they ordered some strawberry waffles and strawberry milkshakes to share. They finally properly talk.

“ So..what’s up?” Sehun asked casually as he leans back on the red cushion.

“ Nothing much..”

They can feel the tension in the air, which is unusual for the two best friends where they used to have heart-to-heart talks all the time.

“ I’m sorry, but were you at the party yesterday?” Baekhyun asked curiously. Because he hasn’t caught a glimpse of Sehun at all, and it’s unusual for a party boy like Sehun to miss such a big party.

“ Nah, there’s a college party out of town.”

  
“ I see.” Baekhyun slowly nods.

Understandable. Sehun has always carried that too-cool-for-school vibes around him. Which he is, too cool for most local students, he hangs out with seniors and has friends outside of school. Sehun even loses his virginity three years ago to a senior girl, who’s four years older.

“ You went with Jongin, right?”

“ Yea.”

“ Nice.” Sehun took a sip of the milkshake.

“ Sooo..what exactly made you asked me to come here?” Baekhyun decides to change the topic to something he thinks is easier to talk about.

“ What, I can’t casually hang out with my best friend without an actual purpose now?” Sehun asked jokingly as he dips a piece of waffles into strawberry jam.

“ That’s not what I meant—“

“ I actually came here to warn you, about Jongin,” Sehun said still munching onto the waffles

“ Here have some.” Sehun pushed a spoonful of waffles into Baekhyun’s mouth.

“ What about Jongin?” Baekhyun said, mouth full of waffles.

“ I think that you should break up with him.”

“ What? Why?” Strawberry jam almost drips out his mouth.

“ I saw him left Kyungsoo’s house just yesterday, it was like 3 in the morning.” Sehun continues eating while Baekhyun stops chewing.

“ Are you sure it’s him?”

“ With that loud as shit convertible of his? There’s only one person.”

Baekhyun goes silence.

“ Dude, I’m just warning you cause I care about you, but if you don’t believe me then feel free to confront him yourself.”

“ N-no, I do believe you, I’m just, trying to process all these in,” Baekhyun replied quietly.

“ I mean, y’alls only been dating for 2 months or something right? You couldn’t possibly fall for him that deep, yet.” Sehun said as he wipes his mouth with some tissues.

Sehun studied Baekhyun’s closely but when Baekhyun didn’t say anything, he came to his conclusion.

“ Ohhh, so you actually did.”

Again, Baekhyun didn’t reply, tears start to form in his eyes. First Chanyeol, and now Jongin. The only reason he agreed to fake date Jongin was to get over Chanyeol, but now it seems like history is repeating itself, with Jongin. And Baekhyun is not ready to get his heart broken, all over again.

“ Baekkie, you’re fucked, dudes totally still hung up over that penguin.”

“ Yea.” Baekhyun scoffs.

“ If it makes you feel any better, you look way hotter _and_ cuter,” Sehun said genuinely.

“ Thanks. Sehunnie, I love you so much.” Baekhyun went over the table and grabs his best friend in for a hug.

“ You know, I’m always here if you need like a rebound.” Sehun winks at him.

“ Gross!”

“ Come sit with me.”

“ I am right now,” Baekhyun said funnily.

“ No, come sit here on my side.”

“ But why?” Baekhyun asked as he stands up to go over to Sehun.

“ You’ll see,” Sehun smirks as he drags Baekhyun to sit on his lap.

“ The fuck.” Baekhyun cursed, alarmed by the sudden skinship.

“ Shh.. look at the door,” Sehun whispered close to his ears, making him shivers.

However, Baekhyun immediately regrets looking, because what he saw was Jongin and Kyungsoo walking into the dining together, looking deep in conversation, because they didn’t even notice him and Sehun.

“ It’s going to be okay, karma will bite his ass soon,” Sehun said as he strokes Baekhyun’s soft cheeks.

Truth is the two of them always have this intimacy around them, even though they’re not like best friends who stay with each other twenty-four seven, everyone knows they’re each other's half.

Baekhyun muffles his head into Sehun’s broad shoulder, wanting to shield his face away from seeing the ex-lovers across the diner.

What Sehun did next surprises him, he, however, his lips over Baekhyun’s ears as his hands stroke the side of the smaller’s thigh.

“ What are you—“

“ Building the anticipation,” Sehun whispers and continues with his action.

“ I’m not about to let him supposed-singly getting behind your back without getting some shit back.”

At this moment, Baekhyun doesn’t care anymore, all he knew is that he’s so thankful for his best friend. His best friend who’s currently stroking his cheeks and pressing soft kisses on top of his head, his best friend who’s stroking his thigh.

“ Don’t look, but he’s watching us,” Sehun muttered.

“ Good.” Baekhyun breathed out and he lay his head on Sehun’s shoulder again, hands holding onto Sehun, wanting to feel warmth for his current cold and desolated heart.

  
~

Kim Jongin is staring hard at the booth at the far end of the diner, where he spotted his (fake) boyfriend sitting on another boy’s lap, with the other kissing his forehead, the action was so intimate Jongin almost wanted to vomit.

Kyungsoo turns his head to see what the boy opposite from his is staring so hard at.

“ Don’t let it bothers you, Jongin.”

“ It’s not.”

“ Good, because you’re too good for that Baekhyun kid anyways.” Kyungsoo gave him a smile that shows off his heart-shaped lips that he loved so much. 


	16. 16

Baekhyun didn’t talk to Jongin the next few days, but partly also because Jongin didn’t reach out. Baekhyun just lay on his bed with scenarios from the party replaying itself. Shots of memories seep through roughly. Baekhyun starts to question the purpose of what he and Jongin have, their relationship, even if there is one. Because now this fake relationship loses its purpose. And Baekhyun honestly couldn’t see the point into continuing this any further. 

He kept laying there on his bed like there’s no school to attend, that is until his mother knocks loudly on the door yelling at him.

“ Baekhyun aren’t you going to school!” 

“ Shit.” He muttered and stumbled to the bathroom like his bed is on fire. 

He missed the first period by the time he arrived at school. Baekhyun purposely used the back door to avoids getting questions from the school staff who usually walks around the lobby area. Plus he also prefers a longer path in order to listen to his music. 

He avoids both Sehun and Jongin for the whole day. The task was almost successful, but that was until he saw Jongin waiting for him on his porch.

Baekhyun quickly hides behind the bush. “ Shit,” he muttered and quickly combed his greasy hair out with his fingers. 

“ What are you doing here?” Baekhyun asked coldly. Or at least he tried to make his voice as stable as possible. 

Jongin snapped out of his daydream and quickly glanced up to meet Baekhyun’s cold stare. 

He straightens up and said. “ I just think that we need to solve whatever this tension is going between us.” 

Jongin sounds so worn out looks so tired, like he hasn’t been sleeping for days. 

For a second there Baekhyun’s heart did a flip and he almost forgave him immediately, but not until he realized he needs to keep up the strong act. 

“ Go on,” Baekhyun assured Jongin as he sat himself down a few meters away, not wanting to be too close to the tan male beside him. 

Baekhyun wonders if Jongin is jealous about what happened the other day at the diner. He wished that he was.

“ Do you, maybe wants to end whatever this thing we have,?” Jongin asked lazily as he lets out a sigh.

Baekhyun should’ve expected this, he knew from the beginning that a guy like Jongin is completely out of his league. They can end this fake relationship now or Baekhyun will continue to dig deeper into his own grave, hurting himself more. Because the more time he spends with Jongin, the more his feelings grew for the boy as well.

He gulps. “ Sure, I mean, if you want to.” 

That was all that came out.

It was an excruciating pain waiting for Jongin to give him an answer. 

“ You know, I saw you the other day with Sehun.” Jongin is still staring ahead, to the plain house opposites from Baekhyun’s.

“ And I saw you, with Kyungsoo.”

Jongin pauses before he lets out a small laugh that doesn’t sound genuine at all. “ Looks like we both don’t need each other anymore after all.”

No, that’s not true, I need you.

“ Yea.” 

“ Then that’s that. Thanks, Baek, for everything.” Jongin starts to get up and wipes the back of his jeans. 

Baekhyun can hear his heart being shattered as it dropped onto the floor below him. He used to follow his brain when it came to his love life, that is why none of his love interests ever works out. But it seems like he should’ve followed his brain because now that he stupidity decided to follows his heart, it already got broken into pieces.

“ Use your feelings, Baekhyun.” That’s what people told him all the time, he listened, and look how it came back to bite him.

Maybe if Jongin isn’t so stupid, or maybe if he isn’t such a fast walker, he would see the teardrops from Baekhyun droopy glassy eyes. His vision is blurred as he watched the taller boy walks over to his car, got on it, and drives away. 

It all ended. Just like that. But it didn’t seem to affect Jongin as much as it did to Baekhyun at all.


	17. Move Forward

Have you ever been with someone in a short period of time but you felt as if you’ve known them forever? The connection, the familiarity, the trust. All these feelings like Baekhyun felt towards Jongin, love is beautiful, it is, even though the other person might not return the same feeling.  
   
Baekhyun doesn’t feel that heartbroken like he first thought he would. He felt down, sure, like there’s a weight clinging onto his heart. But he didn’t cry. He doesn’t want to cry because of a boy, because that’s such a high school act, right?

 It’s been almost 2 weeks since they last talked, the only encounters they had for the past week is stolen glances that went unaware. And a very awkward lab experiment that they happened to be partners. 

By the end of the month, people stopped talking about the ex-couple and find new hot topics to interfere. Baekhyun and Jongin is old news, and the both of them moves forward without looking back. 

Of course, it’s obvious to everyone that there’s weird tension circling around the air between the two, but as time passed, that tension slowly fades away, into nothing. It’s a sign of moving on. Because really, what is there to miss when your whole relationship is a scheme? You can’t miss something that is not real, at least you’re not supposed to. 


	18. Yixing

People are forgetting. Baekhyun is healing. Jongin is moving on.

 

“ Let’s go to a frat party this weekend,” Sehun said while they’re hanging out in his bedroom.

 

“ Nah I’m not really into it.”

 

“ Loosen up Byun, Jongin is moving on, you’re doing slightly better, a party would do you good trust me.”

 

“ Plus, I need to get my dick sucked,” Sehun adds.

 

“ Ew Shut up.”

 

“ Sorry, I’m not a virgin like you.”

 

“ Well, at least I didn't lose my virginity in 8th grade, unlike somebody.” Baekhyun deadpanned.

 

“ At least I got dicks and pussy.” Sehun shrugs.

 

Baekhyun turns his attention back to his reading. But before he could absorb any more materials in, Sehun bothers him, again.

 

“ But seriously though, don’t you get horny?”

“ There’s this thing called masturbation.”

 

“ And there’s this thing called sex.”

 

“ Can we stop talking about my sex life?”

 

“ you mean your unexistence sex life?”

 

Baekhyun stares at him before he throws a pillow at the younger.

 

“ Ow! Isn’t it true!”

 

“ It’s none of your business.”

 

“ I can hook you up with some hotties if you want,” Sehun suggests. He’s the popular one,   he knew a lot of people he can hook Baekhyun up with of course.

 

Baekhyun actually considers it for a mere seconds before he quickly denies. “ No thanks,”

 

“ Hah! I saw that thinking face,” Sehun eyes gleam like a hawk.

 

“ Okay, fine, I guess it wouldn’t be that bad right?”

 

Sehun didn’t reply, instead, he shoves his phone in front of Baekhyun’s face. “ Here, do you like?”

 

It’s an Instagram profile of someone named “ zyxzjsz”

 

“ He’s Chinese, super cute, and smart too may I add, you’ll like him.”

 

As Baekhyun scrolls down Sehun’s phone, he realized that the face is so familiar, but he couldn’t be possible that he knew someone this hot, right?

 

“ Sehun-” But what he sees is Sehun already using his phone, probably doing something that he wouldn’t do.

 

“ The fuck are you doing.” Baekhyun tries to grab his phone back.

 

“ Here, I followed him for you, since I knew you don't have the dick to do so yourself.” Sehun tosses his phone back.

 

“ What the fuck Sehun-” But he’s stopped in his track when he noticed the notification going off on his phone

 

User zyxzjsz has requested to follow you.

 

“See, he follows back.”

“ That’s so not the point! Ohmygod Sehun I think I knew this dude.”

 

It’s  Lay. Or Zhang Yixing, one of the guys in his letters.


	19. Friday

Friday finally rolls around, the only day that Baekhyun is excited about. He was in a good mood until he heard the gossips about the newly rekindled love with someone anKyungsoo is a thing again.”

 

Baekhyun ears perked and listen closely to what his classmates have to say, but disappointed when they turned their attention to another high school gossip

 

It’s been almost a month since they last talked. But it felt like years, and unfortunately, Jongin and Baekhyun doesn’t share any classes together, so that makes it even harder to even confront or greets one another. There are days that Baekhyun just wanted to text Jongin, pour his heart out, just laid it all out there for Jongin to stomp it all over again. But his consciousness took him back to reality where Kyungsoo is still there, monitoring on their supposed ‘relationship’. The thing that took a toll on Baekhyun’s heart is that he always knew that Jongin will eventually go back to Kyungsoo, they’re like a magnet, always finding their way back to each other.  But Baekhyun is not prepared that they’ll be back together, publicly, just a month after ending their facade.

 

“ What’s on your mind?” Sehun asked with a worried look on his perfect pretty boy face. They’re at Sehun’s house playing games before they head out to the party.

 

When Baekhyun ignores, Sehun answers for himself; “ Kyungsoo and Jongin huh?”

 

“ Yea,” Baekhyun whispered.

 

Sehun sighs as he put his game control down and sits down next to the smaller. “ Honestly, don’t give a fuck about him, if he still goes back to Kyungsoo even after all these things, that just shows how dumb both of them are.”

 

“ I’m trying,” Baekhyun assures his best friend with a small smile.

 

“ I know you are, you’re so cute you can have any guys you laid eyes on,” Sehun mutters as he pets Baekhyun soft dark hair.

 

“ Except Jongin.” Baekhyun scoffs.

 

“ Except Jongin.” Sehun laughs quietly.

 

“ Come on, let’s go to the party, I’m done being sad.”

 

“ That’s the spirits, let’s get you some dicks tonight.” Sehun jumps up from the bed with a big smile as he hugs Baekhyun so tightly.

 

They arrived at the frat party, one hour late, but there’s literally no time the party officially starts, people just come in at any time they desire.

 

Baekhyun is dressed in his confident outfit, leather black pants that hugs his thighs so perfectly, loose white v neck that shows off his collarbone, comfortable yet elegant.

 

“ Check what I send you on Instagram,” Sehun whispered as they’re walking up the house patio, the music is so loud the wood is tumbling.

 

“ You can just tell me now,” Baekhyun rolls his eyes.

 

“ Nah it’s better if you see it yourself,” Sehun smirks.

 

Baekhyun sigh and unlocks his phone to his Instagram app, what Sehun send is apparently someone’s Instagram story. Baekhyun clicks on it, on it is a picture of a good looking guy playing pool with his friends with the location same with where he is. Baekhyun couldn’t care less about who it is, but his eyes bulged out as Sehun points at the username.

 

Zyxzjsz.

 

Yixing is here. At this party. Inside the house that he’s about to enter.

 

“ Let’s go and say Hi to our old friend.” Sehun smiles smugly as he practically drags Baekhyun through the throng of people grinding and jamming to the loud music.

 

“ Sehun! No! I’ll talk to him when I want to.” Baekhyun shouts because the loud music is interfering with their conversation.

 

“ Which I know you never will!” Sehun shouts back.

 

“ You don’t know that.” 

 

“ Oh yes, I do.” Sehun stares at Baekhyun as he pushes Baekhyun towards the pool table area.

 

“ I think we’re here.” Sehun eyes sparkle as he nudges Baekhyun closer towards Yixing, who has his back towards them.

 

“ No!” Baekhyun whispers and tries to escape Sehun’s arm.

 

“ Oh hey, Yixing!” Sehun exclaimed as he goes in for a bro hug, Yixing looks a tad bit confused but soon returns the enthusiasm as he remembered Sehun.

 

“ Oh, Sehun! Long time no sees, man.” Yixing smiles and his dimples show on his cheeks. Baekhyun always has a soft spot for dimples, which Jongin doesn’t have.

 

“ Byun Baekhyun?”


	20. the pool.

\------RECAP------

“ Oh hey, Yixing!” Sehun exclaimed as he goes in for a bro hug, Yixing looks a tad bit confused but soon returns the enthusiasm as he remembered Sehun.

 

“ Oh, Sehun! Long time no sees, man.” Yixing smiles and his dimples show on his cheeks. Baekhyun always has a soft spot for dimples, which Jongin doesn’t have.

 

“ Byun Baekhyun?”

 

\-----END OF RECAP-----

 

Yixing looks somewhat surprised when he sees Baekhyun, then his eyes rake all over Baekhyun’s face, and body.

 

Is he checking me out?

 

“ Baekhyun?”

 

“ Yixing!”

 

“ It’s been a while man.” As Yixing envelopes Baekhyun into a hug, careful not too intimate.

 

Oh my god. The letter. Yixing received one too. He never sends anything back.

 

“ I know, right! How are you?” Baekhyun said cautiously.

 

Did he get the letter? Is he going to mention it? All these outrageous thoughts dances around Baekhyun’s head.

 

“ Wanna go outside? You know, get some fresh air, catch up…” Yixing suggests.

 

Oh my god. This is it. Baekhyun gulps. “ Um sure?” Baekhyun said as beads of sweat start to roll.

 

As they finally pushed through all the crowds and reached the sliding glass doors, Baekhyun stopped in his track as he saw a very familiar looking figure at the corner of the stairs. He was with a girl, a very attractive girl, whose Baekhyun recognized as Maddie in senior year at his school. His heart clenched, and he hopes it the last time it does that for Jongin, ever.

 

“ Baekhyun? You okay there?” Yixing calls out as he looks back to see Baekhyun still standing next to the door.

 

“ Coming!”

 

The air outside is chilly, warm but a tint of coolness. They decided to sit on the pathway that leads up to the pool. It’s so quiet outside compared to what they just walked out of, you know those feelings when you’re like the outsider looking into a place filled with voices and tensions, the overpowering feeling that you’re not a part of that swamp, you escaped.

 

“ What’s on your mind?” Yixing asked as he dips in his foot into the pool.

“ Stuff,” Baekhyun answered awkwardly, he barely talks to the guy since he moved out of school years ago and now he’s asking all about his personal things?

 

“ Thank you, really helped my curiosity” Yixing laughs lightly.

 

“ Sorry, I just, have a lot on my mind right now.” Baekhyun sigh.  

 

“ I see.” Yixing nods, then he adds: “ Well if you’re not going to tell me, can I at least guess what’s bothering you?”

 

Baekhyun frowns. “What? No.”

 

“ Jongin. It’s about Kim Jongin isn’t it?” Yixing cuts him.

 

How did he know? Was their relationship that public to the point that people from other schools acknowledge it. They barely post anything together on social media, maybe that one ‘couple’ picture from Halloween, But that’s it. But then Baekhyun also realized that Jongin is a famous quarterback and has a big circle of friends, that’s probably why Yixing knew.

 

“ Yes.” Baekhyun decides to dip in his legs too. The water is so cold he flinches.

 

Before Yixing could ask any more questions, Baekhyun chase him to it. “ What were you going to talk to me about?”

 

Yixing turns to face Baekhyun. “Well, about the letter you sent me.”

 

There it is. The bomb was dropped.

 

“ Yeah.. about that, it’s a mistake” Baekhyun scratches the back of his head.

 

“ Oh is it?”

 

“ Yes!” Baekhyun can see his smirk just from his side profile. This asshole.

 

Then Yixing suddenly became serious as he turns to look at Baekhyun with a stern expression.

 

What now? Baekhyun thought.

 

“ I just want to put it out there, but, you do know I have a boyfriend, right?”

 

Shit. Yixing is taken? It’s not like Baekhyun is interested in him or anything, but since when?

 

“ Oh yeah, totally, ofcourse I knew.” Baekhyun tried to mask the surprise in his tone.

 

Yixing looks relieved as he smiles “ Cool, look, you’re a sweet guy and everything, but if only I’m single you know?”

“ Of course.”

 

Awkward. Awkward. Awkward. He seriously needs booze to loosen his mood a little just for tonight.

 

“ Anyways, it’s starting to get cold, do you wanna head back inside?” Yixing asks as he drys up his foot on the path.

 

“ No thanks, I’ll enjoy my alone time for a little more,” Baekhyun said as he thought about what he’ll be heading back to.

 

“ You sure?”

 

“ Yea, don’t worries.”

 

“ Well, scream if you need anything I guess.” Yixing starts to walk back up to the house.

 

It was complete silence after Yixing left, he can still hear some music that was blasting in the house, but its only the background and it doesn’t matter at this moment. Then suddenly something came to his view, a small cooling tub on the table next to the pool. Maybe there’s something that can help loosen his feelings, so Baekhyun walks towards it and opens the cooler.

 

There are 2 bottles of Vodka that someone probably forgot outside. Not like Baekhyun cares, at least not at this moment, so he proceeds to crack open one of the bottle and drench the liquid into his small body. Sehun has always been concern about him with alcohol because he has a low tolerance. As he thought about the fact that he might be so drunk to the point that he wouldn’t know what he says or do, and there’s a pool in front of him, what possibilities there could be? Baekhyun starts to panic and quickly calls Sehun.

 

Baekhyun can feel himself starting to get tipsy as Sehun finally picks up.

 

“ Baekhyun? Are you okay?” The concern can be heard through the call

 

“ Yes. No. I just accidentally drank too much and I can feel myself getting drunk soon.”

 

“ Where are you?” Now Sehun is the panic one.

 

“ Near the pool.”

 

“ Byun fucking Baekhyun, stay the fuck there and don’t move until I get there okay? Don’t even go near that pool.”

 

When Baekhyun didn’t answer, Sehun almost shouts into the call. “Baekhyun!”

 

“ Yessss dad I’m waiting for you.”

 

“Good, stay there.”

Baekhyun ends the call.

 

Within the next ten seconds, Baekhyun can see a tall figure rushing to his way. Sehun is like his prince charming in this situation.

 

As Sehun comes up near him and his face is under the lit moonlight, Baekhyun can see the worried eyes, the same worried eyes Sehun always has when Baekhyun is in this position.

 

“ I thought I told you not to drink if I’m not with you,” Sehun said as he checks to see that nothing bad had happened to his best friend.

 

“ Of course.” Baekhyun slurs as he steps closer to the taller.

 

Again, low alcohol tolerance.

 

“ I don’t know what I’d do without you Sehunnie.” Baekhyun murmurs as he wraps his arms around Sehun’s neck, almost clinging onto the latter as Sehun wraps one arm around Baekhyun’s waist to prevent him from falling since the smaller is leaning his entire body onto him.

 

“ You know I’m always here for you, always and forever, remember that?” Sehun quietly whispers into Baekhyun’s soft hair.

 

“ I love you Sehunnie, thank you for always being here.” Baekhyun murmurs as he looks up to Sehun. Truth is Baekhyun always has a soft spot for Sehun since the younger used to be a sensitive crybaby when they were in elementary school, and Baekhyun was always there to fight off the bullies that destroyed Sehun’s sand castles. Sehun, too, has a soft spot for Baekhyun, how couldn’t he? Their story goes way back where it would take days to describe the fun, exciting, depressed, joyful, moments they shared.

 

“ Don’t I need to be the one who said that? It’s you who protected me from the bullies, remember?” Sehun said softly as he swipes a strand of hair the falls over Baekhyun’s eye.

 

Baekhyun only smiles in return. A beautiful smile that could capture anyone's heart. And it’s at that moment Sehun knew it already captured his before he even knew it.


End file.
